The Georgian government has not received “an official request from the EU to restrict goods supplies to Russia”, he said.

Earlier, Brussels urged the EU candidate and partner countries to refrain from exporting products to Russia and replacing EU food supplies to Russia with their own products.

The EU request “concerns major exporters. Georgia is not among them and will not be affected by this situation”, Garibashvili said. “Georgia is seeking to sell its products everywhere,” he added.

On Sunday, August 24, Garibashvili said Georgia “will continue a constructive and pragmatic policy in relations with Russia”.

In the previous year and this year “the Georgian government has taken concrete constructive steps to improve relations with Russia,” he said.

“Russia has also taken constructive steps in return. As a result, it was possible to restore and develop trade and economic relations between the two countries, and Georgia began and continues to export its products to Russia intensively,” the Georgian premier said.

On August 23, Georgian Agriculture Minister Otari Danelia said, “Georgia is ready to increase agricultural product export to Russia and expand the list of export goods.”

At a meeting with Sergei Dankvert, head of Russia’s Veterinary and Phytosanitary watchdog (Rosselkhoznadzor) in Moscow, leader of Georgia’s National Food Agency Zurab Chekurashvili said: “Georgia is ready to increase the export of citrus fruits, peaches, apples, pears and quinces to Russia and start supplying trout, honey, lamb meat, and live sheep.”

In 2007-2012, Georgia did not export farm products, minerals and wines to Russia. In 2013, under an agreement with Russia, Georgia resumed export of minerals, wine, tea, laurel leaves and dry fruits, apples, pears, quinces and citrus fruits. In 2014, Georgia started supplying tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, cherry, apricots, peaches and others. The easing of tensions between the two countries and the increase in trade turnover helped to resume export to Russia.